A Swan's Fall
by CloudedDragon
Summary: Charlie has been keeping a secret. A secret that cannot be shared, for their life could be the price if found out. What will Bella do when she finds out?


Disclaimer: The Twilight Series and the characters belong to Stephanie Meyers. Not profits are made.

Charlie walked into the front door quietly, glancing at Bella as she made her way into the kitchen. He remembered the bad feeling he had last night. He got himself so worked up, that he put chains on Bella's tires because of the forecast of ice, in hopes he would ease the feeling and get a few hours sleep. Those feelings had ended up justified, but his efforts were in vain. He thanked God for whatever miracle saved his daughter a few hours ago. Even though he tried not to think about religion, he believed grace was given to people in extreme situations. He'd been a cop for years and had seen people walk away from some pretty amazing stuff. He'd also seen people smeared all over the road from the many accidents he'd been called to. Blinking away the moisture in his eyes and clearing his throat he ambushed Bella from behind and gave her a big bear hug.

"What? Ch.. Dad, are you..." Bella hugged back a little.

"Love ya Bells, Let me cook tonight okay?"

Seeing the parental side of Charlie was weird, but nice and Bella caved in quickly with a smile.

Charlie sighed after Bella went up stairs to her room. Today was such a horrible day. He rubbed his forehead in irritation. Not only had his only child almost been killed but he was forced to interact with the person he had been looking for his entire life. Dr. Carlisle Cullen. What he thought would be a joy had become a barely tolerable act.

Not because he hated him, but oh, the opposite was the case. He was head over heels in love with him since that fateful day he saw him, about two years ago. What was worse was Carlisle's wife. One would think he would be jealous that she had what he wanted. But there was more to his situation, and a shame filled him as he thought of how he was _also_ _in love with her._ Charlie shock his head slowly over the skillet he was placing on the stove. Only his kind could fall so hard and fast to an already bonded couple. The few times he actually saw them together, he marveled at the love and affection they had for each other. He hadn't seen love like that too many times in his life. He would not interfere with their happiness. His suffering was a price he would gladly pay to the people he had imprinted on.

Charlie rued the day his mother told him of his heritage.

_"Charlie what happened?" Mrs. Anna Swan cried to her son. She had run to his room after his cry of distress and the loud bang that vibrated the entire house. As she crept towards his form behind on overturned dresser she sighed at the sight of him._

_"So you have inherited the genes." she stated with sorrow and a little amusement._

_"What?" cried Charlie, his voice cracking with the stress. _

_"Honey don't be afraid, what has happened is natural, but you haven't exhibited any of the signs until now so I thought it best not to tell you."_

_"TELL ME WHAT!! THAT I MIGHT GROW WINGS! WHAT THE HELL MOM! THIS IS UNNATURAL! WHAT THE FUCK AM I?!"_

_"CHARLIE! I know you're upset but don't you talk to me like that! You calm down! "_

_"NO I WILL NOT CALM DOWN!" he yells then starts to hyperventilate. _

_"Shhhhh honey. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry okay.. I didn't want to burden you if you didn't have to worry about it. I wanted you to have a normal life, and I guess I just ignored that it could still happen." She gazed at the source of her son's distress. They were beautiful. The inner wings were of the brightest white and the dorsal side was white as well but had flashes of gold. They reminded her of her late husband's except Benjamin's had been slightly darker. The name Swan seemed appropriate for him._

_Charlie had followed his mothers stare and was looking at them as well, except with horror. _

_"Am I even freakin' human?"_

_"Yes dear, well mostly." At his impatient and angry scowl, she hastily continued, "your father, well as close as he could tell was some sort of shape shifter with paranormal attributes." _

_"What part of shape shifting is normal?"_

_"What,...what I meant to say was additional paranormal attributes." _

_"Your grandfather passed it to your father, but he had been in a severe accident years before your father was born and did not remember his past. So maybe they are decent from some higher beings. He couldn't educate Benjamin beyond the basics of his kind. What he had learned from experience. Because well, it seems that they, now you, where the last."_

_" Oh my God." Charlie cried into his fists._

_"I'm sorry." Anna repeated. " I know this is too much."_

_"YES THIS IS TOO MUCH!" Charlie agreed angrily, tears running down his cheeks. Anna decided to let him let it out as he cried silently and waited for the shudders to subside before she continued._

"_I wish your father was here to help you through this honey, but he's not. I will tell you everything your father told me and some things I noticed about him okay?" She wanted to hug him but she didn't dare to touch him._

_"Tell me everything Mom. Tell me everything like you should have from the beginning."_

_Anna didn't begrudge him that shot. "He is right. I should have told him." she thought. _

_Charlie could see how his words stung at his mother but he hadn't cared at the moment. He was too hurt himself at the apparent betrayal. He listened though as she told him of his, "gifts" and how he would be able to hide what he really was from others. _

Charlie understood now. Why she did it. Why she thought to hide that from him until the possibility turned to definite reality. She loved him and had really hoped he wouldn't have the same burdens his father had had to deal with until the day he met her. It was the same thing he was doing with Bella. _Although, she was showing some of the signs of inheritance._ He would have to tell her before her 18th birthday, he was sure. But he was afraid. He was afraid of everything right now. He noticed the smoke of the burnt steak twirling around his face and quickly pulled the pan off the stove with a curse.

"Hey Dad, do I smell smoke?" Bella called from upstairs.

"I had a little disagreement with the stove! I'll open the door! Sorry!" he shouted.

"You sure you don't want me ta' make it?"

"NO I"VE GOT IT! DON"T WORRY! "

Bella's giggle cheered his dark mood considerably. Lowering the heat on the stove he kept a fork at ready and stared at the steak while he pondered what he was going to do about his problem with Carlisle and Esme.

"I am going to have to avoid them." he thought. He barely saw Esme in town so she wouldn't be too much of a problem. But Carlisle was a head doctor at the hospital and with the recent attacks he was becoming important to the investigation. Maybe he could switch his shift to the opposite of Carlisle's so run ins from work would be less. He snorted at the fact he actually knew Carlisle's schedule. But aside the things about work he didn't know anything too personal about them. Something inside him cringed in agony and restlessness at the thought. The need to be near them had been getting stronger the past few weeks. It started with those attacks. He kept feeling the need to just drop everything and go see one of them. Like he wanted protection from something.

He straightened his posture and shook his head in denial. "I am the Chief of Police! Where the hell is this coming from!' he thought. But then realization dawned on his apparently once sharp mind.

_"Honey, besides the fact that you can fly and you may have some sort of telepathic ability, there is something else that you need to know."_

_Anna took is blank stare as a sign to continue. "You will experience love at first sight. Your grandpa was very adamant about it and then your father after he met me....Your father said something about you. He said you weren't like him._

_"What do you mean."_

_"He said that, well, the dynamics between you and the one you love with be different than the way it was between him and I. You will be a submissive, were his exact words."_

_'Charlie's look was horrified at the prospect and this conversation. He saw himself as a young male with a very manly personality._

_"Are you saying that I'm gay?!"_

_"No! Well, maybe. It doesn't matter you hear me! You are still my son and you are still you!"_

_"I can't take this!" Charlie cried and ran out his room and out of the house. Ignoring his mothers cries. He kept running and made his way into the forest that came to his back yard. After a couple miles and some major exertion he fell to the ground and wept. He cried because of this situation thrust upon him, he cried because unlike what his mother said, he doubted everything about himself. And he cried for the father that was forcefully taken away from him in a shootout when he was a small child. The one person who could have_ _helped him wasn't there. _

Flipping the steak, Charlie sighed. He was afraid of being found out, because to be rejected for him would mean a quick death. His father warned him of the risks of approaching your mate. His father told him how Grandfather had found his true love, but had been rejected by him. Being gay back then was a death sentence in itself to the law. The outcome had been days of his heart being in excruciating pain and fever and then death. It would be better if they never found out. It would be better if he stayed away from them. He would be in agony but, he could be there for Bella. If anyone was worth it she was.


End file.
